1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved mounting arrangement of a magnet within a coin chute assembly. The coin chute includes a coin slide adapted to receive coins in a vertical position and which is disposed for movement inwardly of the assembly to an operate position. The magnet raises a ferro-magnetic slug carried by the coin slide so that inward movement of the slide causes the slug to abut against an abutment surface of the assembly thereby to prevent continued inserted movement of the slide to its operate position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin chute assemblies are usually installed on commercial appliances such as clothes washers, dryers, vending machines, and the like. The assembly typically is enclosed within a housing mounted on the appliance or machine. The assembly includes a coin chute having a coin slide reciprocally mounted in a guide track for inserted or inward movement of the assembly and retracted or outward movement thereof. The coin slide is formed having one or more coin receiving slots whereby the presence of an appropriately sized coin in the slot is operative to allow inward movement of the coin slide to an operate position thereof. The inner end of the coin slide is provided with an operator for actuating the appliance or machine upon continued movement of the slide inwardly to its operate position.
The housing of the assembly usually is provided with a locked coin drawer which prevents unauthorized access to a coin receptacle located below and in spaced relation to the coin slide. The arrangement is such that the coins necessary to operate the appliance or machine are carried by the coin slide upon inserted movement of the slide to its operate position whereupon the coins exit from the assembly through suitable openings thereby to be transmitted to the coin receptacle.
In the prior art, there are numerous types of coin chute assemblies which are operable by means of a plurality of coins carried by the coin slide either in a flat or horizontal position, or in an upstanding edge or vertical position. Two of such assemblies are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,085 dated Nov. 23, 1983 in the name of Harry Greenwald et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,584 dated Mar. 5, 1985 in the name of Christos Lambiris.
In any coin handling mechanism, it is desirable to provide means to reject ferro-magnetic slugs which are used to operate the mechanism without the presence of proper coins. Such slug rejection systems typically include a magnet mounted within the housing and positioned to raise a slug carried by a coin slide out of its intended path of travel. Raising of the slug causes it to be carried against a stop or abutment surface within the housing or coin chute assembly to prevent further inward movement of the slide to its operate position.
The mounting of such a magnet in a coin chute assembly wherein the coin slide carries coins in a horizontal position has not presented a problem. There is suitable space and support within the housing to mount the magnet for it to perform its intended function. The magnet need not be too large nor its pulling force too strong since the influence of the magnet is over the flat and relatively large surface of the slug. In contrast, the use of a magnet in instances where the coin slide carries the coins in a vertical position ("vertical coin chutes") has proven quite troublesome. A much more powerful magnet is needed since the pulling or lifting force is confined to an edge of the slug. While there has been some success in the use of a magnet carried by vertical coin chutes, the placement of the magnet has proven tedious and unreliable, particularly in view of its required strength.
That is, it is known to manually position the magnet within the housing in a frictionally fitting or wedge-like engagement against a vertical face of the housing at a position above where the slug is carried by the coin slide. However, as a result of repeated operation of the slide which produces an impact on the housing, and the presence of other stationary ferro-magnetic material included as part of the coin chute mechanism which exerts a pull on the magnet, the magnet has a tendency to become dislodged from its mounted position so as to have little or no effect on a slug that may be carried by the slide.
It is also known, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,936 dated Jul. 2, 1991 in the name of Timothy E. Boyett, to support a cylindrical magnet as a component of the coin rejection station of a coin chute assembly. The coin rejection station is spaced considerably inboard and out of engagement with the coin chute flange of the assembly. A cylindrical stop member also is mounted to the coin rejection station and is spaced inboard of the magnet. In operation, inward movement of the coin slide carries the slug to a position where it is lifted by the magnet out of the path of travel of the slide. Thereafter, continued inward movement of the slide causes the slug to bear against the cylindrical stop thereby to jam the mechanism and prevent continued inward movement of the slide to its operate position. The Boyet slug rejection system is not deemed reliable in operation and is not practical because of space limitations within the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,519 dated Nov. 16, 1993 in the name of Arkady Zirkiev, and commonly owned by the same assignee of this application, discloses a coin chute assembly wherein the coin chute flange is formed with a recessed portion in its inner surface. A magnet is mounted to a cover plate which is received and secured within the recessed portion of the flange. Specifically, the cover plate is provided with opposed notched edges which receive the opposed end edges of the magnet for holding the magnet in place. The arrangement is such that the magnet is located inboard of the outer surface of the coin chute flange and positioned above the coin slot openings of the flange. In operation, inward movement of the coin slide places an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by the slide under the magnet causing the slug to be lifted or raised against the magnet. The slug is now positioned such that continued inward movement of the slide causes the raised slug to abut against an abutment surface of the assembly to prevent further inward movement of the slide to its operate position.
While the ferro-magnetic slug rejection system of Zirkiev performs its intended function, it has been learned that the magnet may have a tendency to become disengaged from the notched edges of the cover plate upon repeated cycling of the coin slide. Also, the magnetic attraction of the magnet with ferro-magnetic components of the coin chute assembly contributes to the tendency of the magnet from becoming disengaged.
It is known that an adhesive can be used to cement the magnet in place. However, use of an adhesive is time consuming, messy, creates undesirable fumes in the assembly process, and makes it difficult to remove or replace the magnet should that later become necessary.
The present invention is directed toward an improved mounting arrangement for the magnet in a vertical coin chute disclosed in Zirkiev which is easy to install and reliable in operation.